Indoor Positioning Apparatus Placement Using Radio Coverage Maps

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current satellite-based positioning technologies, such as GPS, are ineffective indoors due to signal penetration issues, necessitating alternative solutions like Bluetooth-based systems for accurate navigation within indoor environments.

Innovation Solution

A method for determining potential installation positions for monitoring and controlling apparatuses in indoor environments using a radio coverage map, which represents the expected radio coverage of radio positioning support devices, allowing for efficient monitoring and control of these devices through optimized placement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If satellite-based positioning technologies (GPS, Galileo) are used for indoor positioning, then outdoor positioning accuracy is maintained, but signal reception fails indoors due to wall and roof penetration limitations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning availabilityVSAvoidsignal penetration loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces radio positioning support devices (intermediaries) that transmit radio signals to enable positioning indoors. These devices act as mediators between the positioning system and the indoor environment, allowing mobile devices to determine positions via radio signals when satellite signals are blocked by walls and roofs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If multiple monitoring and controlling apparatuses are deployed to ensure comprehensive coverage of radio positioning support devices, then monitoring reliability improves, but system complexity and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring coverageVSAvoidnumber of monitoring apparatuses
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent determines potential installation positions for monitoring and controlling apparatuses in advance, before actual deployment. By using the radio coverage map to pre-calculate optimal positions, the system ensures comprehensive monitoring coverage while minimizing the number of apparatuses needed, thus reducing system complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If monitoring and controlling apparatuses are strategically positioned to minimize their number, then resource consumption is reduced, but ensuring comprehensive coverage becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of monitoring apparatusesVSAvoidcoverage completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary determination of optimal installation positions using radio coverage maps before deploying monitoring apparatuses. This advance planning ensures that the minimum necessary number of apparatuses are placed at locations that guarantee comprehensive coverage of all radio positioning support devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables rapid determination of potential installation positions through automated algorithms that process radio coverage maps. This allows the system to quickly identify optimal locations without manual surveying, making the deployment process efficient while ensuring complete coverage with minimal apparatuses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

Data Source

PatentEP3594711B1Determining a plurality of potential installation positions
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 HERE GLOBAL BV
  • EP3594711B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3594711B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP3594711B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

It is inter-alia disclosed a method performed by an apparatus, said method comprising: determining a plurality of potential installation positions for installing a plurality of monitoring and/or controlling apparatuses (400-1, 400-2) in a predetermined environment at least partially based on a radio coverage map for said predetermined environment, wherein each monitoring and/or controlling apparatus of said plurality of monitoring and/or controlling apparatuses is configured for monitoring and/or controlling one or more radio positioning support devices (300-1, ..., 300-5) of a plurality of radio positioning support devices, and wherein said radio coverage map contains or represents a respective radio coverage model for each radio position support device of said plurality of radio positioning support devices.